South Huron council has taken no action on a request to house two lion cubs on property just south of the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Business associates Branden Vanderwel and Destiny Duncan made a pitch to council on June 15.
Council further discussed the matter at its meeting July 13 but there was no vote, or motion put forward for a bylaw exemption.
Mayor George Finch said everything remains status quo.
"I've always said that our greatest responsibility as elected officials is the safety of the public that elected us," he said. "I read all of the different reports that came in from concerned citizens. I am convinced that safety is the number one concern here."
Finch said the couple is still able to make another application to the clerk's office if they wish.
The Roaring Cat Retreat in Lambton Shores shut down earlier this year after the Ontario Superior Court issued a permanent injunction, outlawing the housing of exotic animals within the municipality.
In April of 2019, Lambton Shores councillors unanimously passed an exotic animal bylaw that bans the ownership of animals including tigers, lions, cougars and leopards.
CORRECTION: BlackburnNews.com incorrectly referred to Branden Vanderwel and Destiny Duncan as a couple when in fact they are business associates. The correction has been made in the above article.
